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The demise of the Detroit Red Wings had been predicted two lockouts ago, yet the franchise continues to defy skeptics.

And with their performance in the Western Conference semifinal against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Red Wings appear to have a bright future.

They pushed the Blackhawks to the brink and came within an overtime goal of pulling off the biggest upset in this year’s NHL playoffs.

Looking back at the series, the Red Wings let the Blackhawks off the hook. But the fact they were up 3-1 in the series with three chances to eliminate the Presidents’ Trophy winners was an accomplishment in itself.

“I didn’t like our Game 5, but other than that, we played well,” said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. “We didn’t skate very good in Game 1 but we competed real hard.

“We had an opportunity at home (in Game 6), we had momentum, and made a couple of mistakes defensively. Then we did a lot of good things (in Game 7). Our guys really stepped up.”

The Red Wings were still recovering from their seven-game battle with the Anaheim Ducks when they arrived for the first game against the Blackhawks.

Had it not been for the heroics of goaltender Jimmy Howard, they would have been blown out of the building that first night. Instead, it took the Blackhawks until the midway point of the first period to eventually take control of the game en route to a 4-1 victory.

With two days between the first and second game, the Red Wings were able recuperate and came out with an impressive encounter to take the second game and wrestle away home-ice advantage from the Blackhawks.

Two wins at the Joe Louis Arena put the Red Wings in a great position. However, they did not have a good performance in Game 5 in Chicago and couldn’t hold a third-period lead in the following contest in Detroit.

“If you look at Game 1 and 5 in here (United Center), we didn’t play our best,” said Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall. “Other than that, we played some good hockey. We stuck to our game plan and in Game 6, we should have won that one. (Wednesday) was one of those games. Great goaltending at both ends and the puck went off me for the winning goal.”

Brent Seabrook scored 3:35 into overtime in Game 7 to finally put the Red Wings away.

Needing to win their last four games of the regular season just to get into the playoffs, the Red Wings had been battling for their lives for the past two months. They were able to extend their playoff streak to 22 years by getting in, then were rewarded by having to go up against the two best teams in the conference.

“It was a tight series, we played hard,” said Red Wings winger Daniel Cleary. “It was a great Game 7. Guys should be proud of themselves.

“I thought we played a good game, had a good third period. This is a good team we played. Guys should be proud and disappointed. We had a chance, three chances to close them out and we just didn’t get it done.”

Regardless, with the emergence of players such as Gustav Nyquist, Damien Brunner, Joakim Andersson, and the development of Howard as a high-end goaltender, the Red Wings have the pieces in place for continued success in the future.

Although following a devastating loss, that was the last thing on their minds Wednesday night.

“That’s something that will settle in over these next few days,” said Kronwall. “Right now it’s just an empty feeling. There’s a lot of younger guys that made huge strides this year. Right now, it’s always tough when you lose in this spot.